Scribd
Upload
161 views37 pages

Depositional Environment Class

This document discusses key concepts related to depositional environments and facies analysis. It defines a depositional environment as a geomorphic unit where deposition occurs, shaped by processes like weathering, erosion, transportation and deposition. Facies are bodies of rock characterized by features that provide clues about the depositional environment. Properties used to interpret facies include lithology, fossils, sedimentary structures, textures and more. Common fluvial facies include point bars, braid bars and alluvial fans. Deltas are classified as fluvial-, tide- or wave-dominated. Deep sea sediments include biogenic and siliceous oozes transported by turbidity currents or ice rafting.

Uploaded by

MAYURI
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
161 views37 pages

Depositional Environment Class

This document discusses key concepts related to depositional environments and facies analysis. It defines a depositional environment as a geomorphic unit where deposition occurs, shaped by processes like weathering, erosion, transportation and deposition. Facies are bodies of rock characterized by features that provide clues about the depositional environment. Properties used to interpret facies include lithology, fossils, sedimentary structures, textures and more. Common fluvial facies include point bars, braid bars and alluvial fans. Deltas are classified as fluvial-, tide- or wave-dominated. Deep sea sediments include biogenic and siliceous oozes transported by turbidity currents or ice rafting.

Uploaded by

MAYURI
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 37

Depositional environment

Sedimentology:
Weathering → erosion/transportation →deposition → diagenesis

A depositional environment is a geomorphic unit in which deposition takes


places. Thus, the study of depositional environment is essentially the study of
geomorphology, i.e. recognition of geomorphic units. Geomorphic units are
recognized by features preserved in ancient sediments.

A facies is a body of rock characterized by a particular combination of lithology,


texture, suite of sedimentary structures, fossil content, colour, geometry,
paleocurrent pattern, etc.
Facies association: Groups of facies genetically related to one another and which
have some environmental significance can be designate as a facies association.
The facies comprising an association are generally deposited in the same broad
environment, in which there are several different depositional processes operating.

Properties include
Lithology – rock type, including
color, etc.
Composition – mineral content
Texture – grain size, sorting,
roundness
Sedimentary structures
Fossils
Criteria based on primary depositional properties
Properties Types Examples
Geometry of the facies units Lobate shape of deltaic deposit
Gross lithology and
Coal indicate swampy environment
mineralogy of the strata

Physical Fining upward succession are characteristics of meandering


Facies associations
properties stream deposits
Non directional: Ripple→ current flow;graded
bedding→settling of grains from suspension
Sedimentary structures
Directional: Unimodal→meandering stream environment;
bimodal→tidal influence
Sedimentary textures Compositional maturity, sorting, sphericity, grain size
Indicate environment; weathering conditions; Chemical
Major element composition
index of Alteration
Chemical
properties Trace element composition Few elements are indicator of characteristics of source area;
Isotopic ratios O isotope; paleotemperature indicator
Mineral chemical data Composition of minerals provide their formation conditions
fossils and their ecological Indicator of salinity, temperature, depths, energy and
Biologic characters turbidity
properties
Burrows, borings (bioerosion); footprints and feeding
Trace fossils (ichnofossils)
marks
Criteria based on sediment derived propertiesx

Properties Type Example

Interpretation Rock resistivity Fining upward


from Subsurface succession in
drilling (Well logs natural radioactivity subsurface strata

Seismic reflection Seismic profiles Inclined bedding,


characteristics truncation; pinch out
structure
Ephemeral rivers are dry during a significant part of the year,
contrary to perennial rivers carrying water-sediment throughout
the year

Floodplains are the areas occupied by river channels, as well as the


surrounding, flat (overbank) areas that are subject to flooding

Discharge is confined to the channel until bankfull discharge is


reached; from that point on overbank flow can occur, submerging
the entire floodplain
Fluvial Environment
Bars are sandy or gravelly macroforms in channels that are
emergent, mostly unvegetated features at low flow stage, and
undergo submergence and rapid modification during high
discharge

Point bars form on inner banks and typically accrete laterally,


commonly resulting in lateral-accretion surfaces; mid-channel or
braid bars accrete both laterally and downstream

Braided rivers are characterized by a dominance of braid bars;


meandering rivers primarily contain point bars; in straight (and
most anastomosing) rivers bars are almost absent
•Alluvial fans are relatively steep (>1-2°) cones consisting of coarse-grained
facies and constitute the most proximal fluvial depositional environments
(usually at the break of slope on the edge of a floodplain) Debris flows dominate
on small and steep alluvial fans
Sheetfloods are common on larger and gentler alluvial fans
Avulsion is the sudden diversion of a channel to a new location on the
floodplain, leading to the abandonment of a channel belt and the
initiation of a new one

Alluvial architecture refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of


channel-belt deposits and overbank deposits in a fluvial succession

The nature of alluvial architecture (e.g., the proportion of channel-belt


to overbank deposits) is dependent on fluvial style, aggradation rate,
and the frequency of avulsion
Delta
Protuberances
Partially sub aerial, Partially submarine
Delta facies always progrades or the shoreline is always
regressive for the formation of delta
Delta forms during sea – level low stand (regression)
For the formation of delta, averaged over a time period net
transport is towards the sea. (regression or low sea level)
Conversely , Averaged over a time period if net sediment
transport is towards the land, the River meeting the coast
will form an estuary and not the delta (transgression or
high sea level)
Delta
classification on the basis of delta-front regime
(1) fluvial-dominated
(2) Tide dominated, or
(3) wave-dominated
Estuaries
Tide-dominated
Estuary
Deep Sea Environment
The Deep sea has two main sources of sediment:
1. External- terrigenous material transported to oceans via rivers and
wind,
2. internal-biogenic and authigenic from the sea.
Biogenic sediments

Calcareous sediments

Silicious sediment
Silica Sedimentation

Siliceous ooze found where it accumulates faster


than it dissolves
Modes of sedimentation in deep sea

1. Bulk emplacement:
Slumps: sediment transport by mass with little deformation or
folding of layers
Slurries: debris flows and mud flows- destroy any previous
bedding or layering.
2. Turbidity currents
Deep-Sea canyons formed by these processes.
3. Ice Rafting
Polar latitudes, debris from melting icebergs.
Glacial marine sediment

You might also like